European athletics President Svein Arne Hansen accepted Tuesday reaction to the radical plan to wipe out existing European and world records has been "mixed". Under the proposal put forward to athletics governing body the IAAF all records set before a date that has yet to be defined will remain but only on a list of old records. The project is part of European Athletics' drive to set a clean slate in the fight against doping. Among its fiercest critics is long jump world record-holder Mike Powell. The American, who jumped 8.95 meters in August 1991, attacked the plan as "disrespectful, an injustice and a slap in the face". Another arch critic of the plan, which was unanimously approved by the European Athletics Council on May 1, was Britain's Paul Radcliffe. Radcliffe, who ran a women's marathon world record time of 2hr 15min 25sec in 2003, said the idea was "cowardly" and could "damage her reputation and dignity". Hansen in a statement confirmed the record-wiping plan and other proposals "to restore the credibility of European and world records" were now under consideration with the IAAF. He said he welcomed the debate the record-wiping plan has generated. "As might have been expected, the reactions have been mixed," Hansen commented. "The most controversy comes from some of the current record holders who, of course, would be personally affected by the proposed reassignment of record recognition. We must be aware of and sympathetic to their concerns." He invited athletes and other "stakeholders" to submit their thoughts to an email address set up for the consultation process ([email protected]). "If new ideas or better approaches emerge they should be considered and incorporated into the debate," he added. "Our hope is that in the end the selection of the way forward will be based on calm consideration, rational arguments and a consensus on what is best for all athletes and the sport as a whole." IAAF President Sebastian Coe backs the plan. "There will be athletes, current record holders, who will feel that the history we are recalibrating will take something away from them but I think this is a step in the right direction and if organized and structured properly we have a good chance of winning back credibility in this area," Coe said earlier this month. US hurdler Harrison set for finger surgery Hurdles world record holder Keni Harrison will have surgery on a broken finger on Thursday but the American hopes to be back racing in less than a month, her coach said on Monday. Harrison broke the bone when she hit a hurdle in warm-ups before Friday's Diamond League meeting in Doha. Despite the pain, she went on to win the race. Doctors will determine when she is able to race again but "she'll be ready to hurdle in about three weeks," coach Edrick Floreal said in a telephone interview. Harrison returned to sprint workouts on Monday, posting a video of the session on her Twitter account. "There's no danger," Floreal said, adding that the injury was to the middle finger of her left hand. "She has a cast on the hand, so she is able to practice. She can't move the arm-swing really crazy but the hand doesn't hurt moving it back and forth." A specialist will insert a pin in her broken finger on Thursday in Lexington, Kentucky, allowing her to hurdle again in practice. Her next major race will be the US nationals/world championships trials in Sacramento, California on June 22-25. Harrison may not need to compete in the hurdles there to make the US team for August's world championships in London. As the 2016 Diamond League champion in the 100 meters hurdles, Harrison has a wild card entry into the world championships and needs only to run in any event at the US nationals to collect the free pass. "She could run the 100 or 200," Floreal said. Harrison will be looking forward to a return to the London track. Days after failing to make the US team for the 2016 Rio Olympics, Harrison broke the 100m hurdles world record there last July, clocking 12.20 seconds. The record had stood for 28 years. — Agencies
